One thousand red roses
by Padfoot R
Summary: A mystery person keeps leaving roses on Lily's bed and she is unable to catch that person ! LE/PP ! Long one shot.


One Monday night I staggered up to the dormitories and collapsed onto my bed

One Monday night I staggered up to the dormitories and collapsed onto my bed. I was utterly and totally exhausted : in five months, we were passing our NEWTs and the teachers were killing us. This morning I had gotten up three hours early so as to study extra and I had just finished homework at one thirty am. Arg !

I sighed and rolled over.

'Ooyah !' Something had pricked me. I kneeled on the bed covers to find a single red rose in the middle of my bed. Strange. There was no note and it was near impossible for a boy to come into the girls dormitories anyway. Another strange thing was that I hadn't seen it, but that was just because I was tired.

Trying to put the rose aside, I changed into my pajamas and flopped onto the bed again. Puzzled, I put the rose on my bedside table and fell fast asleep. However weird this was, it wasn't going to stop me sleeping, that's for sure !

The next night I headed up to bed early, so as to get some of my lost sleep back. It was only eight thirty, but I was tired. Anyway, I entered the dormitory which was empty except for Alice, who was studying. She had been there for about three hours with a transfiguration book. I think she was trying to get it to cartwheel but it just kind of jumped and flopped. Jump flop jump flop jump flop jlop fump … That's how tired I was.

I told Alice I wanted to sleep (she didn't get the hint to clear off, though) and changed into my nightie. Before lying down, I checked the bed thoroughly for prickly roses and to my surprise saw another brilliantly red rose. It was no longer a simple mistake, but a message. From aliens, perhaps.

'Alice … ?'

'Mmmphwhat ?'

'Have you seen anyone come into the dormitory ?'

'What like ever ? Yeah sure.' I think she'd been studying too much.

'No, I mean this evening.'

'Nope. Not a soul. Except for Mary McHiggins's rat.'

'Ok… Well, good night.' I lay down on my bed, but didn't start snoring right away. I thought, twiddling the rose between my fingers. If Alice hadn't seen anyone here since five-thirty… Lessons ended at four. Dinner was at six-thirty, that would have been the ideal time to sneak here. But Alice was there then. Tomorrow I would stay in the dorm from when lessons ended to when Alice arrived.

I rolled over, transfigured my Snoopy mug into a tall vase and put both roses in. Then I finally closed my eyes and went to sleep.

The next day, as planned I went up to my dormitory as soon as lessons finished. No rose in sight for now. I lay down and took out a History of Magic book. Boring boring boring but necessary.

Five minutes passed. Slowly.

Then ten. It felt like the end of the world.

Fifteen. Maybe revising History of Magic was the end of the world.

Twenty. Felt like it anyway.

Arg! I shut my book with a snap and took out my potions. Finally something interesting. I had a essay to write for tomorrow. I soon got interested and, one hour later, when Alice stumbled in the door I barely noticed.

'Hello. Lily.'

'Hiya.' I muttered, without even looking up.

'Can I copy off you ?'

'Sure … I mean no! No. But all the answers are in chapter forty-three anyway.'

'Hurmph.'

'Okay, well I going out to the grounds. Will you tell me if anyone comes in ?'

'I guess.'

That night I walked up to the dormitory at a reasonable time (first time for ages !) and guess what? A red rose was waiting. Still in the same place. Smack bang in the middle of my bed. And Alice was still there. I presumed she would have told me something if anyone had been here. Sticking the rose in my full-ish vase, I started a new elaborate plan which involved one sensor charm, one rope and hopefully one boy.

At lunchtime the next day, I ran up to Library. I had to know. I flipped open a herbology book and looked for roses. Biting roses. No use.

The next book was exactly what I was looking for. Symbolism. And I was right, a red rose signifies love, deep love and 'I love you'. So it wasn't just Alice playing a trick.

There was no sign of anything in my trap. What was happening ? I got undressed and lay down for a while before sleeping. Suddenly I remembered : the next was Valentine's Day. That was what this was all about. My stomach in knots, I rolled over and tried to get to sleep, with a limited amount of success.

The following morning I woke up with butterflies in my stomach and a frown on my forehead. I was already anxious about today. Lots and lots of what-ifs were forming in my head.

However the day went okay, apart from a couple of singing gnomes and biting confetti hearts. I was safe. More or less. Just to make sure, I went straight to the library after classes. It was pretty much empty. I settled down with a book for an hour and then, unable to stand it any longer, went up to the dormitory.

The curtains of my bed were closed, that was already a bad sign. It looked like there had been a murder. Apprehensively, I pulled back the curtains and let out an involuntary gasp of surprise.

Instead of a bloody body, there was a dozen roses sprinkled over my bed, on the pillow, the duvet even one on my bed side table. It was beautiful and what's more someone had enchanted the ceiling to rain rose petals down.

After a few minutes, I picked up the roses and put them in my vase. I didn't want Alice making fun of me. But under one of the roses I found a piece of paper : All my love, Prongs.

I finally new who my admirer was. But who on earth was Prongs ?!


End file.
